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March 26 - April 8, 2021 39
AMERICAN LIFE IN POETRY BY KWAME DAWES Pat Emile, who served as Assistant Editor to American Life in Poetry for over a decade, was described by past editor, Ted Kooser, as the “Jill-Of-All-Trades for this column”. I was fortunate enough to enjoy her sensitive ear for the rightly tuned poem, and her generosity as a liaison with poets, publishers and our collaborating periodicals, as a necessary component of the training for my tenure. It all makes sense, as Pat Emile is, herself, a poet of fine taste, lovely insight and, as evidenced in this poem (from column 580), “They Dance Through Granelli’s”, a poet with a remarkable eye for sensual detail. Thank you, Pat, for all you have done for American Life in Poetry, and for your gift of delightful verse. Her poem is a fit way to start this exciting re-launch of ALiP! They Dance Through Granelli’s By Pat Emile He finds her near the stack of green plastic baskets waiting to be filled and circles her waist with his left arm, entwines her fingers in his, pulls her toward him, Muzak from the ceiling shedding a flashy Salsa, and as they begin to move, she lets her head fall back, fine hair swinging a beat behind as they follow their own music—a waltz—past the peaches bursting with ripeness in their wicker baskets, the prawns curled into each other behind cold glass, a woman in a turquoise sari, her dark eyes averted. They twirl twice before the imported cheeses, fresh mozzarella in its milky liquid, goat cheese sent down from some green mountain, then glide past ranks of breads, seeds spread across brown crusts, bottles of red wine nested together on their sides. He reaches behind her, slides a bouquet of cut flowers from a galvanized bucket, tosses a twenty to the teenaged boy leaning on the wooden counter, and they whirl out the door, the blue sky a sudden surprise. American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation (www. poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2016 by Pat Hemphill Emile, “They Dance Through Granelli’s.” Poem reprinted by permission of Pat Hemphill Emile. The introduction’s author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.
BIG SKY
BEATS
Corner Quote “If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them something more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.” — President Lyndon B. Johnson, on signing the Wilderness Act of 1964
Big Sky Beats: An Ode to Spring BY GABRIELLE GASSER The sun is shining, temperatures are rising and spring is just around the corner. To get ready for corn snow and chocolate Easter bunnies, here is a sunshine-filled playlist to get you in the mood for spring. 1.
“Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles 2. “Pocket Full of Sunshine” by Natasha Bedingfield 3. “Sunshine On My Shoulders” by John Denver 4. “I’m Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves 5. “Sunshine” by Matt Costa 6. “Sunshine Song” by Jason Mraz 7. “Sunday Morning Sunshine” by Harry Chapin 8. “We’ll Sing in the Sunshine” by Gale Garnett 9. “You Are My Sunshine” by Jimmie Davis 10. “Sunshine State of Mind” by We The Kings
PHOTO BY DAOUDI AISSA ON UNSPLASH
